Perfect
by ERiN OPPEL
Summary: There's only one thing that Turbo hates more than being Taffyta's rival.


**I said I wasn't gonna write a Turbo shipping fic… Guess that didn't work. If you don't like, don't read. Setting is pre-movie AU **_**Sugar Rush**_** where all the racers are adults. Enjoy. ;)**

**Special thanks to Aurora West for beta reading!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! And probably for good reason…**

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Perfect

_By ERiN OPPEL_

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Turbo scowled in the seat of his stolen kart, his knuckles white from gripping the wheel too hard. He cut off the engine when he got to the base of his popcorn stand but refused to get out.

How could he have lost the Random Roster Race _again?_ He was supposed to be the greatest racer ever created; second place was not good enough for him. True, he had only been ruling the game for a couple of weeks now, so he would naturally not be used to the different tracks _Sugar Rush_ had to offer. It wouldn't be so bad, if not for one racer. He turned his head to glare down at the finish line, eyes locking on to a particularly irritating character.

Taffyta Muttonfudge, the ever-popular little twit, was still being congratulated on her victory by her closest friends.

Turbo's teeth clenched at the sight of her. Anytime he'd lost, it was always to Taffyta. He had beaten her on a few occasions, but it was never enough. _He_ was supposed to be the best in the game, not her. _He_ deserved it more.

Oh how he loathed Taffyta. Look at her, parading around in that ridiculously short dress and her stupid, childish stockings. What kind of a racing outfit was that? And pink—pink everywhere. Taffyta also wasn't one to shy away from gloating. The way she flaunted her trophies and gold coins, at the same time soaking up all the praise and glory, made him want to gag.

He thought about deleting her, but it was too late for that now and people might become suspicious if she suddenly disappeared. And the last thing he wanted was for her to become a glitch and team up with Vanellope; he wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle _two_ wannabe racers. No, he was stuck competing with Taffyta.

Unable to look at her and her adoring friends any longer, Turbo pushed open the kart door and got out, slamming the door behind him. He ripped off his helmet and rubbed at a small scratch, trying to preoccupy his mind.

"You okay, King Candy?"

Instant dread washed over him at the feminine voice and Turbo reluctantly turned around.

There she was, smiling down at him with a strawberry lollipop between her glossy lips. What was with her weird addiction to lollipops? Seriously, she should act her age.

Turbo put on his best fake smile and dropped his helmet into his kart. "Of course," he replied. Being a couple of inches shorter than her—and all the other racers—he detested having to look up to her.

Taffyta took the lollipop from her mouth and pierced him with her icy eyes. "You're not sore about losing another race, are you?"

Anger flared up in Turbo but he forced a calm disposition. "Hoo-hoo, me? No." He waved his hand casually. "There'll be other races."

The young adult focused on her shiny pink shoes as she said, "Well, for what it's worth, I think you did a great job today."

Turbo chuckled in order to hold back a snappy remark about not needing her pity. "Why, thank you, my dear." He turned back to his kart while removing his gloves, hoping she'd get the hint and leave.

"I mean, you do a great job every day," she went on much to his impatience. "No one else can do what you do: managing a kingdom, keeping us safe from glitches, and being a top tier racer. I gotta say, I admire you."

_She_ admired _him_? Oh great, that meant he had no reason to envy her. "Yes, it's not easy, I can tell you that," he muttered, wishing she would leave him alone, and yet anxiously waiting for more compliments. He had to admit, her praising him was the only good thing about her.

He heard her sigh. "I try my best, but no matter how many races I win, I'll never be as good as you."

He stopped. Wait, _that's_ why she was winning all those races? Because she was trying to _impress _him? Turbo slowly looked at her, grasping for words. "I… Well…" He'd never been at such a loss before. "Well… I'm the king, after all," he found himself saying. "But there's really no need to prove yourself worthy. I think you're pretty good as is." Where did _that_ come from?

Taffyta batted her dark eyelashes shyly. "Thanks. But you're the one who's perfect."

Turbo's head snapped up as her words triggered the memory of a particularly shocking dream he had the previous night, one he had completely forgotten about the moment he woke up. As it played in his mind though, it turned out to be more like a nightmare…

_For some reason, he wasn't King Candy anymore, just Turbo. When or how this happened didn't matter. He was sitting down in the magenta shade of candy cane trees with his back against the hood of his kart, but he wasn't alone. He had his arms wrapped around Taffyta, who was lying on top of him with her head and hands resting on his chest. _

"_I like being with you, Turbo," she murmured into his jumpsuit above his heart. "You're so perfect."_

"_This face doesn't bother you?" he asked tentatively. Turbo was narcissistic, but he wasn't stupid. He knew he didn't have the glitteriest graphics or most attractive appearance. _

_Taffyta lifted her head up, fixing her crystal eyes on his. "It doesn't matter what you look like, whether you're King Candy or Turbo," she told him tenderly. "Underneath it all, you're still the same most incredible racer I've ever seen."_

_Overcome with appreciation and desire, he bent his head down and locked his lips on hers. _

"_Mmm," she moaned in contentment, returning the kiss intensely. Taffyta's hands slid up to his shoulders._

_Turbo closed his eyes and savored the taste— strawberries, just as he predicted. One of his hands firmly caressed her back while the other dug his fingers into her silky, platinum locks. After what felt like only a fraction of a second, they pulled away, keeping the tips of their noses touching. He gazed into her half-closed eyes, brushed a strand of hair from her face and whispered, "I love you, Taffyta."_

Turbo's jaw dropped but he forced back a cry of pure terror. The blush on his face must've been plainly visible and he couldn't control how wide his eyes were getting. _No, no, no, this can't be true, it can't!_

Taffyta raised her eyebrow quizzically. "Um, is everything all right, your Majesty?"

He backed up, steadying himself against his kart and trying to will himself to stop shaking. "I—no—I mean, yes!" he stammered, frantically searching for the door handle. "I just remembered, I have something, uh, very urgent to deal with." Turbo clambered into his kart, avoiding eye contact, and sped away.

He didn't want to know if the dream went any further than that. Any time a fragment of it resurfaced in his mind, he pushed it back in denial. The first thing he did when he got back to the castle was make a mad dash to his room, where he flopped onto his bed and burned his gaze in the ceiling.

He tried not to think about how happy Taffyta was when she won, how she still complimented him, how her warm body felt against his, how her lips tasted—gah! He was doing it again!

"Oh, you think you're _so_ perfect, don't you?" Turbo muttered spitefully under his breath. "Trying to amaze me with your excellent racing skills and bewitching charm—" Wait, what? Turbo shook his head vigorously. No, he did _not_ think that Taffyta was charming and he _especially_ did not love her.

She was egotistical and arrogant. If things weren't done her way, she would make everyone miserable. She couldn't stand it when someone else got more attention than her. She was selfish and stubborn and—

Just like him. Turbo widened his eyes at the revelation. Holy hotcakes. Did this mean he subconsciously didn't think he was as great as he thought he was? …Of course not. He was flawless. But maybe he secretly thought that Taffyta was, too.

"But that makes no sense!" he said aloud, as if consulting a higher power. "How can I like her and hate her at the same time?"

"Everything all right, sire?" came Sour Bill's dull inquiry from the doorway.

"No! Everything is awful!" Turbo griped. "Everything is—" Suddenly he sat up and furrowed his brows deep in thought. "Splendid!" he decided cheerfully.

Sour Bill leaned back slightly. "Uhhh, what?"

He explained, more to himself than his servant, "Maybe Taffyta _is_ perfect. After all, she completely respects and idolizes me. And she reminds me of myself, so I can relate to her! Not to mention she's attractive and possesses incredible racing skills, which makes her the best in the game—aha, besides me, that is—and that makes us compatible. So why shouldn't I love her? Don't I deserve the best?"

"…"

Turbo glared at him. "Well, _don't I_?"

Sour Bill answered quickly, "Oh, uh, yes. Of course, your Majesty."

"Good." Turbo jumped off his bed, pointed his finger up in the air and declared, "From this day forward, I will do anything to make sure that Taffyta only has eyes for me! And then she'll be mine, all mine! Hoo-hoo-hoo!"

"Mm-kay…" Sour Bill turned in disinterest and shuffled away. "If you need me I'll be in the servants' lunch room."

Turbo ignored him and sighed, thinking about the feeling in his chest that he didn't know he had been repressing for so long. He gazed out the window at the tracks in the distance, where Taffyta was probably flying along at top speed. One day, he would catch her.

And then his life would be perfect.

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**So it's not so much "love" as it is "selfish attachment", but that's Turbo for ya. Though I like to think in this scenario he eventually gets rid of his hypocrisy and learns to properly love her. Thank you for reading and please review!**


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